Extra Credit Opportunity

Never Expires


Extra Credit:
Don't forget that you can earn extra credit by proofreading. Find an error in a printed text: book, magazine, newspaper, etc. and bring it to me for extra credit.

September 29/30, 2008

September 29/30, 2008
Self-Starter: Start setting up your composition book by following these directions:
1. Leave the first page blank.
2. Label the second page "Reading List." (This is a list of the books you read for this class.)
3. Draw 5 columns:
# / Title / Author / Genre / Date Completed
4. Count 5 pages.
5. Label the next page after the 5 "Books to Read." (This is a list of books you'd like to read.)
6. Draw 4 columns.
Title / Author / Genre / Read (You'll check this column after you read the book this year.)

-- Receive tests back. Complete checklist. Read other students' book recommendation letters and list on your "Books to Read" page the ones you'd like to read.

Keep your tests and checklists in your binder.

The actual points possible for this test on PowerGrade is 60, though there were 70 points possible on the test. Therefore, if you got over 60 points, you got more than 100 percent!

If you were not here for the test, or did not bring your book to do it, plan on staying after school on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday to take the test. Bring your book!

-- Outsiders -- Practice for filling out the Book-of-the-Month reading logs.

Outsiders reading by class: (and students filled in a space on their reading log for The Outsiders)
B1 -- p. 87
B2 -- p. 83
B3 -- p. 88
A1 -- p. 89
A2 -- p. 91

Character Reading Log

Character Reading Log

Here is a sample of filling in the reading log for October:
Day 1: Date Read _September 26, 2008__
Pages Read pages 1 - 30
Character: ___Redd (She used to be known as Rose Heart.)___
A quote from the novel that reveals something about this character: "I"ve come! she yelled, the words ricocheting off the cloudy looking glasses. . . (page 1) "And they had the impudence to blame me!" she yelled. (page 3)
How did you learn this? (check one) __x__The narrator told me. (This narrator is third person.) (or) _____Another character said it.

In the above quote, is the information about --
_____x__ what the character says and how he or she says it?
________ what the character does (his or her actions)?
________ what the character thinks?
________ what the character looks like (appearance)?

Here’s what I’m thinking or feeling about this character: She's very loud and unpleasant, yelling her words angrily.

October Book-of-the-Month Assignment

Students should have picked up their new Book-of-the-Month approval slips (goldenrod color), and their first reading log (goldenrod color), for the "October" book.

The approval slip looks something like this:
Seventh Grade English Book Approval for the
Book-of-the-Month Club!
This month the approval is due by: October 7/8. (Sooner is better!)
The book should be read by October 28/29.

Book-of-the-Month Club Assignment: In addition to the reading we’ll do in class, students are required to read a novel (or other approved book) on their own (outside of school, during advisory reading time, etc.) each month. You will keep a reading log, and toward the end of the month, you will complete, in class, an assessment based on the book.
Book Requirements: You get to choose your book ☺, but it must meet these requirements.
 The book cannot be one read as a class or as a small group in class.
 The book must be grade level/reading level appropriate.
 The book should be 100 pages or longer. Select a book you can read by the time it is due.
 See the back of this sheet for a list of books not allowed.
 Check your teacher’s website and/or blog for a list of recommended books.
 The book must be approved by a parent or guardian, and by your teacher.
 The teacher may ask you to read a book from a particular genre.
This month the book should be a novel with one or more major characters.
Student name: (Please print first and last name) __________________Period:_____
Title of book: _____________________________________________
Author's name: ___________________________________________
Number of pages: ______________ (The book should be at least 100 pages long.)
Parent signature: _________________________________ Date: ____________
Teacher approval _________________ Date: ___________ Points _____/10 + on time __/5 + early _____/5


The log contains this text:
Weekly Reading Log for the Book-of-the-Month Club Book – Month 2
Due: This log is due weekly -- on the last day you attend class each week.
To hand it in, place it in the top wire basket for your period, and pick up a new log.
* Don’t forget to have your book approved before you read it.
*Plan to have your entire book read by the due date: October 28/29
*This time you are focusing on what you learn about characters. For each day you will record the date, pages read, and include a quote from the book that helps you get to know a character. You will also indicate how you got that information: what is the source of the information, and what conclusions or inferences does it lead you to make about the character.

Day 1: Date Read ________ Pages Read _____ (example: pages 1-20)
Character: _____________________________________
A quote from the novel that reveals something about this character:
_______________
How did you learn this? (check one) ______The narrator told me. (The narrator could be first person.) (or) _____Another character said it.

In the above quote, is the information about --
________ what the character says and how he or she says it?
________ what the character does (his or her actions)?
________ what the character thinks?
________ what the character looks like (appearance)?

Here’s what I’m thinking or feeling about this character: _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight Pictures for Certain Obsessed People I Know

September 25/26, 2008

September 25/26, 2008

Self-Starter: Citizenship self-assessment

Book-of-the-Month Assessment
Students need to be able to find in their books passages that give description of setting and others that show the point of view. They also need to be able to tell about the overall setting, explain the point of view, and tell about the major conflict in the book (the biggest overall problem -- the problem that drives the plot of the book) and at least one other conflict. Finally, they need to be able to write a recommendation letter for the novel itself.

We spent most of the class period in the computer lab. The students had that time to complete the test. For students who weren't done reading their books or who didn't bring their books, they need to arrange with me to come after school to take the test.

If you do not come prepared, you will receive a zero until this is made up. To make up the test, you will need to bring your book on a day you have arranged with Ms. Dorsey to come after school.

Book-of-the-Month Assessment

Book-of-the-Month Assessment
Don't forget to bring your novel for the Book-of-the-Month on September 25 (A-Day) or September 26 (B-Day)! This is vital. You must have finished reading the book. If you do not come prepared, you will receive a zero until this is made up. To make up the test, you will need to bring your book on a day you have arranged with Ms. Dorsey to come after school.

September 23/24, 2008

September 23/24, 2008
Self-Starter: Homophone editing quiz (with a partner if you wish).
Circle and correct all homophone and other spelling errors in the following selection. Show each correction above the word you circled. There are twelve (intentional) errors.

Your going to have a “test” on your Book-of-the-Month Club book this week. Don’t forget too bring you’re book when you come to class on Thursday or Friday. If you still have alot of reading to do, you’d better get busy! (Don’t forget to keep a reading log as your read.) You’ll be expected to rite about your book using the computer program Word. It would be a good idea between now and then too look for passages in you’re book that show the setting and the point of view two. Be able to explain how you know what the point of view is. Its also important for you to be able to tell about conflict in that novel. Think, to, about what you did and didn’t like about the novel, or what you especially liked. What are it’s best and worst points?

Class Activities:
1. Correct quizzes.
2. Lesson on external text features with Mr. Christensen. Ms. Dorsey read to the students a picture book: Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad. We discussed external text features in the book.
We made a list of external text features including titles, pictures, photos, summary, table of contents, illustrations, headings, subheadings, index, graphs, charts, lists, text boxes, italics, bold face, underlining, change of fonts, change of font size, change of color of text.

3. The Outsiders

B1 - to page 75
B2 -- to page 74
B3 -- to page 79
A1 -- to page 74
A2 -- to page 75

We practiced finding the sorts of evidence in a text that you will need to find in your novel for the test on your book-of-the-month.

September 19/22, 2008

September 19/22, 2008

Today we'll check out the tableaux created by the students last time for a scene from The Outsiders. Who did the best job of recreating the scene from the book? -- Oops! We didn't get this done because of technical difficulties.

Students are taking a quiz on more homophone pairs. Study it’s/its, led/lead, right/rite/write.
They are also practicing recognizing the different types of conflict:
Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. the Unknown Man vs. Self Man vs. Society

We are reading from The Outsiders.
B1 - to page 71
B2 -- to page 72
B3 -- to page 73
A1 -- to page 73
A2 -- to page 72

For B-Day, today is a day to hand in your reading logs for the week! A-Day classes should have handed in theirs yesterday.

Wow! Another Extra Credit Opportunity!

Never expires.
Have you learned about metaphors and similes? Extra credit is available to students who find and capture metaphors and similes from their reading. A reward (extra credit points) is currently available for the capture of these valuable creatures.

Include the metaphor or simile, where you found it, and a page number (if appropriate).

For example, this sentence from The Outsiders uses a metaphor: "I couldn't have gotten much cooler without turning into a popsicle." (page 53) It's not literally true that he would turn into a popsicle. This is figurative language -- a metaphor -- comparing two unlike things to help the reader understand what it was like to be that cold.

On page 54, we find this simile:
"Johnny was scared to death. I mean it. He was as white as ghost . . . "

September 19/22, 2008

September 19/22, 2008

Today we'll check out the tableaux created by the students last time for a scene from The Outsiders. Who did the best job of recreating the scene from the book?

Students are taking a quiz on more homophone pairs. Study it’s/its, led/lead, right/rite/write.
They are also practicing recognizing the different types of conflict:
Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. the Unknown Man vs. Self Man vs. Society

We are reading from The Outsiders.
B1 - to page 71
B2 -- to page 72
B3 -- to page 73
A1 -- to page
A2 -- to page

Students created a Journal page on binder paper in their binders, and wrote this entry:
"You are watching from the bushes when Johnny and Pony are attacked by the Socs in the park. (Chapter 4) You are later called to be a witness in the murder trial. What would you say to either condemn or defend Johnny?"

Today is a day to hand in your reading logs for the week!

Vocabulary "Toy"

Here's a site where you can develop your vocabulary and do some good! Go to http://www.freerice.com/ and check it out! Go to "change subject" and try out the grammar section, too. I'm addicted!

More Extra Credit Poetry

Expired with end of first term.
More Extra Credit Poetry

Memorize this poem for up to eight points of extra credit.

We Real Cool
by Gwendolyn Brooks

The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.


1960


In “We Real Cool,” Gwendolyn Brooks briefly describes the battle of seven school dropouts and their struggles with personal identity. The poem tells the story of school-aged pool players whose lives may appear glamorous, but is brought to truth in the last line. They are unsure of themselves and basically ruining their lives with their impulsive decisions. “We real cool. We/Left school. We/Lurk late. We/strike straight.” In the poem, the pool players are in conflict with themselves. The are not very confident and believe because they do things such as leaving school, standing around late a night and talking big about themselves, that they are “cool.” The poem's rhythm blends well with its straightforward context. The short lines may symbolize the dropouts lack of vocabulary or they way they regularly speak. Alone each line is short and incomplete but in the poem all of the lines come together to paint an image. All the excitement of this lifestyle is brought to a realization with the last line “We/die soon.” -- from project1.caryacademy.org/echoes/poet_Gwendoly...

September 17/18

September 17/18

Note: If you are missing any work, come in after school to make it up.
Self-Starter: On your own, take the quiz on confusing words, and on editing.

Remember: Book-of-the-Month is due September 25 (B-Day) or September 26 (A-Day). Bring your book that day.

Reminder: Are you bringing your binder to class each time? Make sure your papers are clicked into place behind your English class divider or dividers. See an earlier posting here for what papers you should have so far.

Today's Activities:
1. Take the quiz and correct it. (If you missed today, study dessert/desert and hear/here.)

2. We did an activity recognizing Point of View, Conflict, and Setting (Exposition)

4. Read and listen to The Outsiders.
B1 - to page 51
B2 -- to page 49
B3 -- to page 51
A1 -- to page 49
A2 -- to page 49


For the Book of the Month Club, can you identify and explain. . .
-- The setting -- time and place -- Can you prove it with passages from the book?
-- A major conflict -- Can you prove it with passages from the book?
-- The Point of View/Narrator -- Can you prove it with passages from the book?

September 15/16, 2008

September 15/16, 2008
Self-Starter: On your own, take the quiz on confusing words.

Remember: Book-of-the-Month is due September 25 (B-Day) or September 26 (A-Day). Bring your book that day.

Reminder: Are you bringing your binder to class each time? Make sure your papers are clicked into place behind your English class divider or dividers. See an earlier posting here for what papers you should have so far.

Today's Activities:
1. Take the quiz and correct it. (If you missed today, study bored/board and brake/break.)
2. Discuss the Book-of-the-Month assignment.
3. Learn about Point of View. See nearby entries on this blog.
4. Read and listen to The Outsiders.
B1 - to page 44
B2 -- to page 35
B3 -- to page 42
A1 -- to page 39
A2 -- to page 42

For the Book of the Month Club, can you identify and explain. . .
-- The setting -- time and place -- Can you prove it with passages from the book?
-- A major conflict -- Can you prove it with passages from the book?
-- The Point of View/Narrator -- Can you prove it with passages from the book?

Examples of Point of View

Examples of Point of View

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud: The author uses both third person and first person point of view. Nathaniel, the young magician, is told about in third person. Those chapters alternate with chapters that are told in first person, from the point of view of Bartimaeus, a powerful spirit (djinni). The latter are my favorite chapters, since Bartimaeus has such a fun sense of humor.

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander: "Eilonwy of the red-gold hair . . . was leaving Caer Dallben. Dallben himself had so ordered it; and though Taran's heart was suddenly and strangely heavy, he knew there was no gainsaying the old enchanter's words."
This is from a third-person point of view, but just from this selection we don't know enough to determine whether it is third person limited or third person omniscient.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle: "It was a dark and stormy night. In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind. Behind the clouds scudded frantically across the sky. . . ."
"She wasn't usually afraid of weather. --It's not just the weather, she thought. -- It's the weather on top of everything else. On top of me. On top of Meg Murry doing everything wrong."
That quote, as is the quote before it from The Castle of Lyr, is from the exposition of the book -- the beginning part that introduces the setting, characters, and basic situation. Both are third person, and again, just from reading this much, we don't yet know if it is third person limited or third person omniscient.

The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck: "If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it. You know August. The corn is earring. The tomatoes are ripening on the vine. The clover's in full bloom. There's a little less evening now, and that's a warning . You want to live every day twice over because you'll be back in the jailhouse of school before the end of the month.
"Then our teacher, Miss Myrt Arbuckle, hauled off and died. It was like a miracle, though she must have been forty. You should have seen my kid brother's face. It looked like Lloyd was hearing the music of the spheres. Being ten that summer, he was even more willing to believe in miracles than I was."
This one is first person. Though it uses the words "your" and "you," the story is not about you. The narrator is telling his own story -- a story he is in.

Student Targets for Term 1

Student Targets for Term 1
By the end of Term 1, a student should be able to

Correctly spell, punctuate, and capitalize the names of their teachers, school administrators, and counselor. (Correct capitalization of proper nouns.)

Correctly use and spell the Seventh Grade homophone pairs from the state core.

Understand and correctly use these terms: fiction, nonfiction, genre, novel, plot map (plot structure), exposition, conflict, point of view, narrator, character, setting.

Identify external text features in informational text: headings, subheadings, pictures, captions, bolded words, graphs, charts, tables of contents.

Identify a purpose for inquiry, prepare and effectively ask questions, select an appropriate format to report information, effectively present information, work cooperatively with other students.

Determine audience and purpose for writing an autobiographical or narrative account.
Begin to create a clear, coherent, chronologically-sequenced incident, event, or situation with
simple reflection.
Begin to select and craft sensory details for that incident, event, or situation.

Revise and edit to improve writing.
• Use a variety of sentence beginnings and sentence lengths
• Use capitalization at the beginning of a sentence and use appropriate punctuation at the end
• Correctly capitalize proper nouns

Just Point of View

Point-of-view is an element of literature that you need to understand.
What is it?
The author's point-of-view concentrates on the vantage point of the speaker, or "teller", of the story or poem.


1st person: the speaker is a character in the story or poem and tells it from his/her perspective (uses "I")

3rd person limited: the speaker is not part of the story, but tells about the other characters. He or she limits information to what one character sees and feels.

3rd person omniscient: the speaker is not part of the story, but is able to "know" and describe what all characters are thinking.

A second person point of view is a story that is told from the perspective of "you." It is much less common than first and third. Do you remember children's books like the "Animorphs" series or the "Choose Your Own Adventure" tales? They went something like this: "You turn, and standing there before you is a wolf. You have to decide to approach it or run away."

Here's a handy key for you:

First person: I
Second person : You
Third Person: He, She, They

[adapted from definitions found at http://www.enotes.com/literary-terms/q-and-a/what-second-person-point-view-2208
and http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2715.html ]

Book-of-the-Month Club Assignment

Book-of-the-Month Club Assignment

You need to have your Book-of-the-Month read by September 25 for B-Day students and by September 26 for A-Day students. Be prepared to bring it to class this day and/or on the next class period. We will be doing an assessment on the book.

Watch for these aspects (Literary Elements) of your book:
What are the time and and place of the setting of your book? What do you find out about this in the exposition?
Who are the main characters? What does the narrator tell us about them -- about their ., thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions?
Who is the narrator of the book? Who is telling the story?
What is the point of view of the narrator?
What conflicts do you find in the book? What is the main conflict?
See September 9/10 for the types of conflict. Notice which types are in your book, and notice examples of those types.

We've already been learning about conflict. Here is some information on point of view:

Point-of-view
What is it?
The author's point-of-view concentrates on the vantage point of the speaker, or "teller", of the story or poem.


1st person: the speaker is a character in the story or poem and tells it from his/her perspective (uses "I")

3rd person limited: the speaker is not part of the story, but tells about the other characters. He or she limits information to what one character sees and feels.

3rd person omniscient: the speaker is not part of the story, but is able to "know" and describe what all characters are thinking.

A second person point of view is a story that is told from the perspective of "you." It is much less common than first and third. Do you remember children's books like the "Animorphs" series or the "Choose Your Own Adventure" tales? They went something like this: "You turn, and standing there before you is a wolf. You have to decide to approach it or run away."

Here's a handy key for you:

First person: I
Second person : You
Third Person: He, She, They

[adapted from definitions found at http://www.enotes.com/literary-terms/q-and-a/what-second-person-point-view-2208
and http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2715.html ]

Links to the State Core:
Standard 1 Objective 1.3 (Comprehension of Literary Text): Comprehend literature by evaluating the contribution to meaning of several literary elements within a work of literature.
a. Identify narrative plot structure -- in this case, exposition and conflict (rising action. . . .)
b. Describe a character’s traits as revealed by the narrator (e.g., thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions).
d. Identify descriptive details and imagery that establish setting.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Extra Credit Opportunity -- Expired with end of first term.

Tell me about what you found out about this book here -- for 5 points extra credit. This offer expires September 26.

This is part of a description of the book on "Peg's Library Blog":
Korman has done it again! A thoroughly delightful story, implausible, but still lots of fun. Cap (Capricorn) Anderson has been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother in a commune outside of San Francisco, but is forced into public middle school when his grandmother breaks her hip. He immediately becomes a target because of his long hair, tie-dyed wardrobe and homemade sandals. Without his knowledge or consent he is nominated and elected eight grade class president, an office that has traditionally been reserved for the biggest nerd in school.
(Ms. Dorsey's note: I haven't seen anything in the book to indicate that this is taking place in California -- or have I missed something?)

Point of View: The book is told in first person, but from several different individuals. A new chapter means a different point of view.

I'm reading this now, and enjoying it.

Binder So Far

Binder So Far
Here is what you should have filed under your divider(s) -- in a three ring binder --for English so far:
Your disclosure document (unless a parent is keeping it)
Word webs (pink) for
1. fiction (filled out as far as we have filled it out)
2. nonfiction (filled out as far as we have filled it out)
3. genre (filled out as far as we have filled it out)
4. novel (filled out as far as we have filled it out)
5. exposition (filled out as far as we have filled it out, including exposition from Outsiders, chapter 1 about characters -- the boys) --with the plot map on the back with the exposition box filled out
Other papers:
6. Outsiders' Vocabulary (filled out)
7. Outsiders' Opinionaire (filled out)
8. Commonly confused words from the Utah State Seventh Grade Core (goldenrod)
9. Walk About -- Collecting Confusing Words (filled out)
(Your current reading log could be here or with your book.)

September 11/12, 2008

September 11/12, 2008
Don't forget to hand in your (yellow) reading log for the week. These should be handed in every Thursday or Friday. Each day you read (at least five days a week), write a summary that clearly tells what happened in the book, and add an impression (noticing), connection, or wondering (question).

Today we are doing a "Walk-About" to collect sentences using our seventh grade confusing words. Students will create a chart with words and meanings, then walk around to see student-created mini-posters, collecting sample sentences for those words.

We will also continue to read and discuss The Outsiders.
Do you have your opinionaire?
Did you watch for exposition in the first chapter?
Are you noticing the conflicts in the book?

The classes have read The Outsiders to these pages:
B1 page 24
B2 page 22
B3 page 27
A1 page 25
A2 page 26

Don't forget to bring your binder to class. We will be having random binder-checks.

Unpaid advertisement:Life is rank if you don't have your school planner!
If you don't have your school planner, you don't have your hall passes.
If you don't have your school planner, you don't have those handy places to write down assignments and other reminders.
Be a tuff, cool dude! Carry your planner.

September 9/10, 2008

September 9/10, 2008
Today students are doing a pretest of their writing skills on MyAccess. If a student is absent today, he or she should arrange to stay after school to complete the test.

We are also reading more of The Outsiders and discussing the meaning of CONFLICT in a story, and learning about various types of conflict.
Students who have not finished their homophone mini-posters should complete those today while we play a game about CONFLICT.
Try these sites for more information about conflict:
Here is some information about four types of conflict.
We talk about five types of conflict:
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. the Unknown (supernatural, diety, fate)
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Himself

And here is another teacher's information about conflict.

Vocabulary Game

I've placed a vocabulary game from the Readers' Digest at the bottom of this page. It's a real challenge -- difficult words and timed. Try it out. This could be fun to do with a parent.

More about Reading Logs

Reading Logs

This is to be handed in every week.

This log, of reading done outside of class in the selected and approved novel, is worth 5 points per day for 5 days. (Of course, you could read - and record- on the other days of each week too.)

It should be handed in on the last day you are in class for the week -- Thursday or Friday.
For each day you read, make sure you summarize what you have read that day, and add impressions, connections, or wonderings (questions) in the space provided.

Pages read should be recorded like this: "page 20 - 34." In other words, record the page you started on that day, and the page you finished on.

If you are a fast reader -- a devourer of books-- read for about 20 pages or so, then stop to record on the log. You could do this every 20 pages or so. You need not record every time you finish 20 or so pages. You just need 4 or 5 entries for the week.
When you finish one book, keep the reading log for the next book you start. You still need to hand in a log once a week.

September 5, 2008

September 5/8, 2008
Students turned in their reading logs for the past week.
Start another.

Students completed the "Outsiders Opinionaire."

Commonly Confused Words from the Utah State Seventh Grade Core
We started studying ten sets of commonly confused words (homophones) from our seventh grade core. By September 23/24 every student should know these well and spell them correctly on all written work. Go to this page on my web pages to see a chart of these words.

Student pairs made mini-posters for assigned sets of homophones. If you were not here, see the absent envelope for your period on the back white board.

September 3/4, 2008

September 3/4, 2008
Self-Starter: Finish up the Outsiders (Slang) Vocabulary sheet.
Student Target:
I can activate and add to my background knowledge before I read.
Readers will better understand and remember what they read when they activate (access) what they already know about the topic, and, if needed, add to that knowledge whatever they need to better understand as they read.
The following activities were to activate any schema (background knowledge) the students already had about the 1960's, and to add to that schema:
We listened to some music from the 50's as students finished up their vocabulary (60's slang) sheet.
We watched a small portion of a Paul Newman movie from the 60's (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid-- the part where they are running from the posse and jump from the cliff into the river), pretending we were in a darkened movie theater (with popcorn), then listened to and read the beginning of The Outsiders. "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home."

Student Target:
I can recognize and define exposition in a story or novel.
Seventh grade students need to
 a. Identify narrative plot structure (e.g., exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,
resolution). (Utah State Core, Standard 1, Objective 3a.) Today we worked on understanding what exposition is.
Exposition is the beginning of a story or novel which introduces the characters, setting, and situation. (The word is from the Latin for "to set forth, explain.")

Student Target:
I can recognize and describe a realistic (contemporary) novel.
The Outsiders is a realistic (contemporary) novel.

Realistic Fiction in a Modern Setting has these characteristics:

Characters: presents fictional characters who behave in realistic ways
Setting: takes place in modern times; a recognizable sort of place
Plot: has a plot that makes sense and that ends with a solution to the problem
A problem to solve: The main characters are involved in a conflict or dilemma (This genre is also called "Life Problems.")
Description: Places, events and characters are vividly described
Dialogue: The characters' words show their personalities and also move the plot along
(adapted from Teaching Genre by Tara McCarthy)

Extra Credit Opportunity

Expired with end of first term.
Extra Credit Opportunity

Here's your chance to earn 5 points of extra credit! Just tell me what the featured book is for this week, and tell me a little of what you found out about the book and/or author. This opportunity expires September 12.

The featured book of the week is Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George, a local author.
Genre: fantasy
More information: based on a Nordic legend
To learn more about the book and author, go to http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/Books/SunAndMoon/Default.aspx